Lecture on Top Five Poems for GCSE

Overview

• Mr. Everything English discusses the top five poems for GCSE exams.
• Focus on Kamakazi, My Last Duchess, London, Bayonet Charge, and Remains.
• Highlighted poems should be learned in detail, including quotes and analysis.

Key Poems and Analysis

1. London

• Form: Narrative Poem
• Theme: Control and oppression within society.
• Key Quotes:
  • "The mind-forged manacles I hear"
  • "Marks of weakness, marks of woe"
  • "The hapless soldier's sigh runs in blood down palace walls"
• Techniques:
  • Personification and Oxymoron for analysis.
  • British Empire Context: Reflects societal control.

2. My Last Duchess

• Form: Dramatic Monologue
• Theme: Power and control through patriarchy.
• Key Quotes:
  • "Since none puts by the curtain I have drawn for you, but I"
  • "Then would be some stooping; I choose never to stoop"
  • "Then all smiles stopped together"
• Techniques:
  • Positioning, Foreshadowing, Sibilance, and Cesura.
  • Context: Patriarchy's impact on the Duke's actions.

3. Bayonet Charge

• Form: Epic Poem
• Theme: The harsh realities and disillusionment of war.
• Key Quotes:
  • "Bullets smacking the belly out of the air"
  • "In bewilderment he almost stopped"
  • "King, honor, human dignity, etc. Dropped like luxuries"
• Techniques:
  • Personification, Volta, Simile.
  • Context: War propaganda and its effects.

4. Remains

• Form: Narrative Poem
• Theme: Psychological impact of war, PTSD.
• Key Quotes:
  • "Myself and somebody else and somebody else"
  • "Sleep, dream, blink"
  • "He's here in my head when I close my eyes"
• Techniques:
  • Juxtaposition, Symbolism, Semantic Field.
  • Context: The psychological burden on soldiers.

5. Kamikaze

• Form: Epic Poem
• Theme: The conflict between duty and personal awakening.
• Key Quotes:
  • "Shaven head full of powerful incantations"
  • "My mother never spoke again in his presence"
  • "He must have wondered which had been the better way to die"
• Techniques:
  • Metaphor, Symbolism, Juxtaposition.
  • Context: Propaganda influence on kamikaze pilots.

Study Tips

• Focus on analyzing language, structure, and form for each poem.
• Understand the context and how it influences each poem's themes.
• Practice comparing poems using past exam papers.

Conclusion

• These five poems offer a range of themes and techniques that are crucial for the GCSE exams.
• Learn the suggested quotes and ensure a solid understanding of context and form.
• Further practice with past papers is recommended for mastery.